This invention is in part the result of research and data collected in the course of 18 years as a quarterback, offensive coordinator and quarterback coach in the National Football League.
This invention relates to apparatuses and methods for simulating professional football. More in particular, the invention relates to board games and computerized games wherein professional football is simulated.
Attempts at simulating football can be traced into the 19th Century. U.S. Pat. No. 563,767 depicts a board game having a gridiron representation and a spinner.
One of the striking features of football history is the number of changes that have ensued over the years. This is true not only in the actual live performance of the American brand of football, but also in the various manifestations of simulations of football.
U.S. Pat. No. 593,512 discloses a gridiron representation as well as a spinner indicating the amount of yardage gained. This game employs toy players propelling toy balls on a toy field. Actual complicated modern football plays are not possible with this game.
U.S. Pat. No. 795,822 discloses a gridiron in combination with several spinners. Players are moveable upon a board wherein the players are connected by links or bonds. This game is similar in some respects to football, but is not intended to simulate football closely. Modern football may not be played with this game.
U.S. Pat. No. 817,191 discloses a rugby card game. There are 66 playing cards which are divided into 11 suits of 6. Each card contains 5 plays; kick-off, punt, goal after touchdown, goal from field and rushing. This is not prior art, but is interesting as an attempt to play a sport with specialized cards.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,273,675 contains a gridiron representation as well as a spinner. The play results are determined in a completely random fashion. As modern football is largely dependent upon a good defense guessing what the offense will do, less randomness or arbitrariness is needed for accurate football simulation.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,467,912 has a gridiron representation as well as a very complicated spinner. Team players are left with no discretion as to which plays are chosen or the results.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,838,398 is a football game apparatus having a gridiron representation as well as 7 spinners attached thereto. In this game a player is allowed to choose his offense play, announce it and then spin for the result. There is no room for the defensive player to "read the offense".
U.S. Pat. No. 1,992,475 is a football game in combination with cards. The cards in this game pertain to a particular play and then have the face of the card divided into zones corresponding to the zones on the field. (See claim 1) This game is an offensive biased quarterback game wherein no defensive input occurs. In contrast, success of live football plays is largely dependent upon the defense guessing what the offense will do.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,049,284 is a football game containing a gridiron representation having an elaborate dice, tumbler annexed thereto. There is a chart of plays which is used with this game. The chart gives 88 variations of play through each of seven line positions or 616 variations of line plays on a simple chart of 11 chances. In this game an offensive member names his play, rolls the dice and consults the chart for yardage. The defense player then rolls dice to obtain yardage which is then subtracted from the offensive yardage and a new line of scrimmage is established. Actual live football involves much less chance and offensive teams do not tell defensive teams what their plays are before yardage is gained or lost.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,103,361 is a football board game using play selecting cards. There are offensive cards as well as defensive cards each of which is separate and apart from the other. In this game the defensive player first chooses his defensive card. The offense then chooses his card and discloses his choice. The defense member aligns his card containing graphic representations with the gridiron and locates the play result on the card. Live football is played by the offense choosing a play and the defense trying to guess what that play is.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,403 is a football board game having result charts. Cards are used with this game, but they are regular poker-type cards.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,863 teaches a football board game having a gridiron representation having associated, complicated moveable parts located thereon. This patent exemplifies the more complicated extreme of football board games.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,580 is a football board game having a gridiron representation. In this game, as can be seen from FIG. 2, the defense tries to guess what the offense is doing. Playing cards are used in this game and play results are determined by a set of cards called "down" cards. The offensive player chooses one of two plays and the defense responds by guessing which of the two plays the offense chose. Modern football has a great many more plays than running or passing and in addition, realistic defensive strategies involve degrees of success in guessing offensive strategies. A football game simulator is needed wherein the full panoply of professional plays are brought into the game strategy. Means are needed to assess the degree of success in guessing the offensive strategy. Simple cards are needed designating plays. Moreover a game is needed wherein the possible play result combinations do not decrease as the game proceeds. As is often the case in professional football, an offense may want to try the same play over and over again if it works. A game is needed where this is possible.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,509 is a football board game having a gridiron representation and a play result chart. Dice are used extensively as well as offensive play cards. In this game, with the exception of kickoff, the offensive player must announce his play in advance to rolling dice. Defensive guessing is absent in this game.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,346 is a football board game having playing cards and dice. There is little room in this game for offensive strategies and defensive guessing. Dice are used in unique ways to announce plays and results.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,834 is a football board game which is pocket size and uses offense and defense cards. The offense and defense cards are different from each other. Defensive guessing of the offense is limited to setting up a defense which is felt to be sufficient. There is no chance for the defense to guess what the offense is going to do.
Many problems exist in past attempts to accurately simulate professional football. A football simulation is needed which satisfies the skilled technician of professional football as well as entertains and teaches central concepts to neophytes. A game is needed which involves players to the point of setting up strategies, second guessing strategies, giving credit to defense players for varying degrees of success in second guessing, obtaining play results based only in part on randomness or the "breaks" of the game. In short, an accurate simulation of NFL football is needed.